REVIEW REDUEX: Film has roller coaster of crime, emotions

I am a film nerd. I love films from every decade and every genre, and I want to share the passion I have for great films.

Some of the films I choose you might not have heard of — wonderful! I would love it if a fellow movie-lover discovered a new favorite among my selections.

If you have seen my picks, then I hope you agree with my opinion. If you do not, that's fine, too. I love a good film argument.

Among my many picks of great film will be a number of classic black-and-white, a few foreign and even some recent, lesser-known films.

I am starting my first selection with a film many people have heard of, but probably have not seen. It is a classic, ranked No. 19 on the American Film Institute's top 100 films list.

"On the Waterfront" is a gritty drama that leaves you begging for more. Marlon Brando stars as Terry Malloy, an ex-boxer and bum who works on a New York waterfront dock under the corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly. Terry has played chum to Friendly for years as a favor to his brother Charley, but after meeting the sister of a boy murdered by Friendly's men, he has a change of heart. Terry goes through a roller coaster of emotions as he must decide whether to testify against Friendly before a crime commission or keep his mouth shut.

There are so many elements that make this film great — a powerful screenplay, beautiful cinematography and gripping music. But the driving force behind this film is Brando's performance. For anyone who loves Brando as Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" movies, watch "On the Waterfront" and you will see the beginning of his genius. His Terry Malloy is both brutal and sensitive. He is full of raw masculinity yet graceful.

It is his quiet yearning to be a better man that makes the best scene, not the famous "contender" sequence, but the moments he shares with Eva Marie Saint's character, Edie.

Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly, Rod Steiger as Charley and Karl Malden as the neighborhood priest round out the extraordinary cast. "On the Waterfront" received eight Oscars in 1955, including Best Actor (Brando), Best Director (Elia Kazan) and Best Picture.

If you love films, then seeing "On the Waterfront" is a necessity. Rent it, turn the lights down low, pop some popcorn and be prepared to be mesmerized. It is a film not likely to be forgotten.

One more thing: No talking! This is not the sort of film you can gab through. Just let yourself be immersed in the movie and you will not be disappointed.